BBL clubs braced as Australia switches to ODI format

As they approach the halfway point of their 14-round regular season, a host of KFC Big Bash clubs are set to manage a reshuffle in personnel with the Australia squad's imminent shift of formats.

Australia's 14-man ODI squad is set to fly out Thursday morning for a whirlwind three-match series against India, where they will play three games in six days between January 14 and 19 in Mumbai, Rajkot and Bengaluru.

Seven of the eight Big Bash clubs are represented in that 50-over squad, with only the roster of the Sydney Thunder remaining unchanged.

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

There will be a 12-day absence for the Australian stars given travel times and recovery from flights, with players potentially available again from January 21.

Australia players Patrick Cummins, Mitchell Starc and David Warner do not hold BBL contracts, but could conceivably join a club in the lead-up to the finals campaign as a local replacement player after the India ODI tour.

Below is a club-by-club analysis of the impacts of the Australian series, as well as key injury updates.

Adelaide Strikers

Players unavailable: Alex Carey (wk)

Players returned: Travis Head

ODI window fixtures: v Renegades, Jan 12, Adelaide Oval; v Heat, Jan 14, Gabba; v Heat, Jan 17, Adelaide Oval; v Hurricanes, Jan 19, UTAS (Launceston).

No surprises here for the Adelaide Strikers, with Alex Carey a permanent fixture in Australia's limited overs XI. The Strikers have already enjoyed the returns of pace pair Peter Siddle and Michael Neser, while they will be delighted to welcome Travis Head back into the fold as well. 

The Test vice-captain won't play in today's match against the Sixers at the Adelaide Oval but will make his first appearance of the BBL|09 season on Sunday against the Renegades.

The Strikers are also boosted by the fact fast bowler Billy Stanlake hasn't been called up by Australia. Two games at the Adelaide Oval during the ODI tour window will also help mitigate the loss of Carey with rising star Harry Nielsen set to take the gloves.

The Strikers can expect to have a full-strength contingent for the final three games of their home-and-away season, two of which will be played at home.

Full squad: Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Travis Head, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Harry Nielsen, Liam O'Connor, Philip Salt (England), Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Jon Wells, Cameron White, Nick Winter

Brisbane Heat

Players unavailable: Marnus Labuschagne

Players returned: Joe Burns, James Pattinson, Mitchell Swepson

ODI window fixtures: v Hurricanes, Jan 9, Gabba; v Scorchers, Jan 11, Optus; v Strikers, Jan 14, Gabba; v Strikers, Jan 17, Adelaide Oval; v Renegades, Jan 19, Gabba.

Marnus Labuschange hasn't been a key figure in the Brisbane Heat's plans in seasons gone by, but the 2020 version of Labuschagne is a world away from the player that has previously scored just 42 runs in six innings for the Heat.

While Labuschagne is a big absence, Brisbane will crucially have their suspect middle order boosted by the return of Burns, while firebrand James Pattinson is likely to be a first-choice selection for coach Darren Lehmann, pending the management of his workload, and leggie Mitch Swepson also expected to return to the first XI for Thursday's clash against the Hurricanes.

Then there is the small matter of the arrival of AB de Villiers, who is set to play his first game on January 14 against the Strikers when he comes into the squad to replace England's Tom Banton.

Heat fans will get just the one chance to see Labuschagne in teal at home in the regular season, with the club to play both Melbourne clubs away over the January long weekend.

Full squad: Chris Lynn, Tom Banton (England), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan), Zahir Khan (Afghanistan), Ben Laughlin, James Pattinson, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Sam Heazlett, Matthew Renshaw, Josh Lalor, Mitch Swepson, Jack Prestwidge, Mark Steketee, Jimmy Peirson, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Kuhnemann, Cameron Gannon

Hobart Hurricanes

Players unavailable: D'Arcy Short, James Faulkner (injured), Riley Meredith (injured)

Players returned: Matthew Wade

ODI window fixtures: v Heat, Jan 9, Gabba; v Thunder, Jan 11, Sydney Showgrounds; v Scorchers, Jan 13, Blundstone; v Hurricanes, Jan 16, SCG; v Strikers, Jan 19, UTAS

The Hurricanes were looking like one of the few teams to come out of the change in the Aussie schedule better off, but the late call-up of D'Arcy Short, who blazed a century in his last match, and recent injuries to in-form pair James Faulkner and Riley Meredith have curtailed that theory.

Adding to their woes, David Miller was also benched for the second innings of their last game in Perth with a calf issue.

Meredith went back to Hobart for scans after the Hurricanes win over the Scorchers while the rest of the squad travelled direct to Brisbane, with an update on the quick's prognosis expected later on Wednesday.

With Meredith facing a stint on the sidelines the Hurricanes will be hopeful the return of club captain Matthew Wade can offset the huge loss of BBL run-machine Short.

Full squad: Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan), George Bailey, Scott Boland, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, James Faulkner, Jarrod Freeman, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, David Miller (South Africa), David Moody, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, D’Arcy Short, Aaron Summers, Matthew Wade

Melbourne Renegades

Players unavailable: Aaron Finch (c), Kane Richardson

Players returned: None

ODI window fixtures: v Stars, Jan 10, Marvel; v Strikers, Jan 12, Adelaide Oval; v Thunder, Jan 15, Manuka Oval; v Heat, Jan 19, Gabba

The Melbourne Renegades have had a shocking start to BBL|09 losing their first seven games, and the loss of star players Aaron Finch and Kane Richardson could not have come at a worse time for the defending champions.

However, the club has long been used to losing the pair to international duty. The Renegades have a glut of opening options this summer thanks to the arrival of Shaun Marsh, who is available for the full season after falling out of the Test reckoning and with selectors moving on as they look towards the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Richardson's absence will be a major blow to a bowling unit that has struggled to make inroads, with Samit Patel a late call-up to help while Harry Gurney battles a hamstring injury and Richard Gleeson struggles with his economy rate.

The 'Gades play four games during while Finch and Richardson are absent, and it remains to be seen if Richardson's workload in India would allow him to play the January 21 home clash with the Hurricanes.

Full squad: Tom Andrews, Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Tom Cooper, Alex Doolan, Andrew Fekete, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Richard Gleeson (England), Harry Gurney (England), Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Beau Webster, Jack Wildermuth

Melbourne Stars

Players unavailable: Peter Handscomb, Adam Zampa

Players returned: None

ODI window fixtures: v Thunder, Jan 9, MCG; v Renegades, Jan 10, Marvel; v Sixers, Jan 12, MCG; v Scorchers, Jan 15, Optus; v Scorchers, Jan 18, MCG; v Sixers, Jan 20, SCG

The Melbourne Stars will rejoice that national selectors have given them full use of three World Cup stars in Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Coulter-Nile who were all overlooked for the ODI tour.

International windows have hit this club hard in previous seasons. They will still miss Peter Handscomb and Adam Zampa and must play six games in the ODI window.

They suffered a further blow with the news England quick Pat Brown has been ruled out with back issues, but that loss has been mitigated by the arrival of Pakistan paceman Haris Rauf, a rags-to-riches tale for a player in the Lahore Qalanders development squad that was plucked from Tasmanian Premier Cricket when Dale Steyn arrived with an injury and immediately impressed.

Rauf can expect to play out the season with the Stars now, but the club will have just two regular-season games with Handscomb and Zampa back in the mix before the finals series.

Full squad: Hilton Cartwright, Jackson Coleman, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Peter Handscomb, Clinton Hinchliffe, Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Nick Larkin, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Lance Morris, Tom O'Connell, Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Dale Steyn (South Africa), Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa

Perth Scorchers

Players unavailable: Ashton Agar, Ashton Turner

Players returned: None

ODI window fixtures: v Heat, Jan 11, Optus; v Hurricanes, Jan 13, Blundstone; v Stars, Jan 15, Optus; v Stars, Jan 18, MCG; v Thunder, Jan 20, Optus

The big win here for Perth is keeping Mitchell Marsh for the entire season. The Scorchers captain has used himself sparingly with the ball but been in ominous touch with the bat, though Perth have struggled so far in BBL|09 with three wins from seven game.

In-form leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed will become all the more important with the departure of Agar, though the pair has worked impressively in tandem through the middle overs.

The shorter travel time from India back to Perth means Agar and Turner could be an outside chance to play their January 20 fixtures against the Sydney Thunder at Optus Stadium.

Full squad: Ashton Agar, Fawad Ahmed, Cameron Bancroft, Tim David, Cameron Green, Liam Guthrie, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Chris Jordan (England), Matthew Kelly, Liam Livingstone (England), Mitch Marsh, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman

Sydney Sixers

Players unavailable: Steve Smith, Sean Abbott (injured)

Players returned: Nathan Lyon

ODI window fixtures: v Strikers, Jan 8, Adelaide Oval; v Stars, Jan 12, MCG; v Hurricanes, Jan 16, SCG; v Thunder, Jan 18, Sydney Showgrounds; v Stars, Jan 20, SCG

The return of Nathan Lyon has been delayed by a thumb injury suffered by the off-spinner in the Sydney Test match, but his expected return for the January 18 Sydney derby still looms as decisive.

The club have also gambled with the signing of Aussie duo Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood, banking on their squad doing the job in the regular season to have them well-placed for a run at the finals by the time that pair returns from India.

The Sixers will have just two home games with their full complement of players before the finals series, while the side strain to Abbott at this point remains somewhat of an unknown.

Hazlewood played in Coffs Harbour on Sunday night and immediately impressed with 1-18 from four overs, and will play a second game for the Sixers today in Adelaide. Throw in Lyon's return and the presence of Smith post-India, the possible return of Abbott, and the second-placed Sixers are suddenly looking very dangerous.

Full squad: Sean Abbott, Justin Avendano, Jackson Bird, Tom Curran (England), Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Micky Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Ben Manenti, Steve O'Keefe, Josh Phillippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, James Vince (England)

Sydney Thunder

Players unavailable: None

ODI window fixtures: v Stars, Jan 9, MCG; v Hurricanes, Jan 11, Sydney Showgrounds; v Renegades, Jan 15, Manuka Oval; v Sixers, Jan 18, Sydney Showgrounds; v Thunder, Jan 20, Optus

Usman Khawaja's omission from the Australian ODI side was a surprise, but a welcome one for the Sydney Thunder who is part of a top order responsible for providing the bulk of their batting firepower in BBL|09.

Khawaja was a key player in Australia's World Cup campaign until injury struck, and he's been in electric one-day form for Queensland. He's not played a full Big Bash season since BBL|02 in 2012-13 but the Thunder will be hoping he can replicate his exploits that led them to the title in 2015-16.

Full squad: Liam Bowe, Jonathan Cook, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Callum Ferguson, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (England), Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Morris (South Africa), Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Chris Tremain